The Indian leaders believes artificial intelligence is a matter of “concern” and could cause chaos
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create ‘deepfakes’ – false online images – describing them as “problematic” in a country as diverse as India, as well as a potential source of controversy.
Speaking at a political function on Friday, the PM revealed that he himself was a victim of this technology.
“[AI] can create anything. Recently, I saw a video where I was dancing garba [a form of Indian dance]. I was left astounded at its accuracy,” Modi told a gathering in Delhi, noting he had not danced garba since his school days.
The PM was referring to a video that went viral earlier this month, in which a person resembling him was seen shaking a leg with a group of women. Initially, it was thought that hackers had simply morphed the prime minister’s face onto someone else’s.
According to FACTLY, a fact-checking portal, however, the person in the video was Vikas Mahate – the prime minister’s impersonator. An inspection of Mahate’s social media appeared to suggest that the video was recorded at a ‘Navratri’ festival function in Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
“It is a matter of concern,” Modi warned. “Artificial intelligence [is problematic] in a diverse society like India. In the past, movies would come and go. Nowadays, however, if a movie carries a controversial statement, it may not be allowed to run.”
The conversation surrounding deepfakes and their potential harm has resurfaced in India after a doctored video of popular Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna went viral on social media earlier this month. The celebrity’s face was morphed onto that of British-Indian social media influencer Zara Patel, who’d posted the original video last month, triggering an outcry across the country.
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Following this episode, New Delhi demanded social media companies take “decisive action” against ‘deepfakes’ and remove them within 36 hours of first receiving a report of suspicious content. These platforms could lose ‘safe harbor immunity’ and be liable to criminal and judicial proceedings if they fail to implement such measures.
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